ENGLISH

THE POWER OF LITERACY

The following piece is a story recounted to me by my mum last week:

The train chugged  out of Warrnambool station, slowly building up pace as it started the long journey towards Melbourne. An elderly gentleman and presumably his grandson sat opposite me, taking in the view of the blustery local beach as the train exited the town. As the two started to converse, it became apparent that they weren't speaking in English. Was it Russian? I couldn't be sure.

They chatted quietly and respectfully until the train pulled into Terang. It was here that the elderly gentleman began to get excited. He pointed fervently in the direction of a mountain far off into the distance, eager to draw his grandson's attention.

"Excuse me," asked the grandson in perfect English. "Sorry to bother you, but my grandfather would like to know the name of the mountain over there."

"That's Mount Noorat," I responded.

The old man clapped his hands together with joy and smiled gleefully.

"Alan......Marshall," he said slowly, tears welling in his eyes.

Having read his various texts, including the classic 'I Can Jump Puddles', I knew exactly who he was referring to.

"Yes, that's right. That's where Alan Marshall was born."

"As a boy growing up in Russia," the man recounted in broken English, "my favourite book was I Can Jump Puddles. I treasured that book and dreamed one day of travelling to this far off place to see for myself. Now, today that dream has come true. That book changed my life!"

When my mum told me this story, I couldn't help but be amazed that a book set in a rural town on the outskirts of Terang could end up in the hands of a Russian boy in the height of the Cold War. It emphasised the power of literature and why classical literature transcends time.

I hope many of you have dug up copies of your favourite book from childhood and recounted to your children why it is so special. Sometimes the story behind the text is just as important!